First Snow
by Bardess of Avon
Summary: Fluffy oneshot and Christmas present for a few very special people. "After all, there was only one first snow of the year." Midgepiece. Sort of.


A/N: Every year, our local news predicts snow and everyone freaks out because they think weather will defy history and actually snow here. Today, it snowed. A lot. And everyone took great enjoyment in reminding me that I said it was not going to snow. Anyway, the point is that as I was sitting at the kitchen table, having been released from school three hours early, I saw the snow and felt like I was in Chicago again (except for, you know, the fact that we have trees in our backyard), and then Midge—a creation of **Megfly** and my absolute favorite OC EVER—popped into my head and instructed me to write this oneshot. And so I did.

This oneshot is, as you may have guessed, about the first snow of the season in the winter of 1956; this is based off of the assumption that the movie took place in June of 1957. So Riff and Tony are still alive here, and the main enemy of the Jets are the Emeralds, not the Sharks (yet). It has various characters—for the record, Minnie, Clarice and Pauline are all stage characters, and Bernice is (sort of) an OC created by **Vee** and me. Midge is the sole property of **Meg**, and she was kind enough to let me use her!

This oneshot is my Christmas present to the following lovely, lovely ladies: **Meg, Vee, cookies,** and **Squishy**, but mostly **Meg**, who brought Midge into our lives and the subsequent Midgepiece pairing. Merry Christmas, duckies!

Disclaimer: Everything except for Midge and Bernice is the property of Jerome Robbins; Midge is the creation of **Meg** and Bernice is the creation of **LC and Vee Productions**.

* * *

If there was one thing Midge couldn't stand, it was people who were wrong. And considering that the people around her were almost always wrong, she was in a constant state of irritation.

Today was no different; the papers and the weatherman were predicting a slight chance of snow, and it seemed that everyone was in an uproar about it. The junior members of the Jets were practically bouncing up and down in anticipation, and the even the senior members were smiling and laughing a lot more than usual. Even Anybodys, contrary to her usual defensive attitude, was laughing at Snowboy's jokes instead of threatening to clobber him one. Even _Ice_ was taking the jokes about his name in stride.

Midge, however, was supremely not amused by the antics of the Jets. She was starting to wish Minnie had never dragged her to Doc's; she could be doing _much_ more important things at the moment, like studying chapter three of her biology textbook again or making note cards for the history test in two weeks or reading the latest medical journal. But no; she was trapped in this tiny candy store, surrounded by imbeciles of low intelligence who couldn't even properly read weather reports.

"How much d'ya think it'll snow?" Tiger was asking in a voice that was far too childishly excited.

"Just a couple inches; it won't _really_ snow 'til it gets colder," Joyboy said reasonably.

"I dunno, Joyboy; it snowed a helluva lot last year, an' it wasn't even halfway through December," Big Deal reminded the other Jet.

"Think we'll be able ta make a snowman?" Baby John asked wistfully.

"Ooh, I hope so!" Minnie suddenly let out a large gasp, her eyes widening. "_And snow angels_!"

"Can ya really make snow angels in street snow? I mean, ain't it kinda dirty?" Velma asked skeptically from Ice's lap; the snowplow man used to make the streets on the East Side slushy with salted snow, and that was _much_ too disgusting to lie down in.

"Aw, we'll do it in the Park," Tony said dismissively. "That's where we do it every year."

"Think we can build a fort again?" A-Rab asked, his eyes lighting up.

"We'll have a snowball fight!" Snowboy exclaimed. Cheeks darkening as several eyebrows rose at his excitement, he said, "I'll be captain-a one time an' Ice can be captain-a the other! Team _Snow_boy an' Team _Ice_! Haha, get it?!"

"You slay me," Bernice said, rolling her eyes but grinning all the same.

"Maybe we oughta put bits-a ice in the snowballs an' throw 'em at the Emeralds," Action suggested, a small fire crackling in his eyes.

"Cool it, Action," Riff, who had finally unglued himself from Graziella, warned him in a nevertheless careless tone. He snickered. "Haha, get it? Cool it? Snowballs? Get it?"

Tony sniggered with Riff, both of them nudging each other as if trying to point out Riff's cleverness. Graziella cackled, a sound that made Midge wince.

"We never had snow in Texas," Gee-Tar said in an awe-struck voice. "Well, once; they canceled school for it."

"I didn't know it got below freezin' in Texas," Tony exclaimed, looking stunned.

"It doesn't," Gee-Tar said, sounding somewhat meek. "But, we never got snow, so…"

Anybodys scoffed. "They won't cancel school here unless it's below freezin'." She sniggered. "Remember that time the gas in the buses froze an' they had ta cancel at the last minute?"

Mouthpiece, who had been swinging his legs happily on the stool beside Midge, gave a delighted kick and spun to face her, his usual dopey grin on his face. "Gee, Midge, I can't wait for it ta snow, can you?"

Midge adjusted her glasses. "Actually, Mouthpiece, it is not going to snow. The weather reports predicted a _slight_ chance of snow; that doesn't necessarily ensure that there will be several feet of snow as you all seem to think there will be."

Mouthpiece looked dumbfounded. "But gee, everyone _says_ there's gonna be snow."

"Well, everyone is wrong," Midge said flatly.

Big Deal, who had heard this exchange, leaned back in his chair with a very smug expression. "_Actually_, Midge, there's a forty-five percent chance it'll snow, last time I checked."

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement.

Midge adjusted her glasses and said in a very frosty tone, "Yes, but that is less than half a chance that it will snow, and considering that the weather reports are usually inaccurate—"

"Actually, when they say that there's a forty-five percent chance it'll snow, that don't mean there's a forty-five percent chance, it means that forty-five percent-a the area will get snow," Snowboy said, looking perfectly serious.

Everyone stared.

"That's the stupidest thing I ever hoid," Action scoffed.

"Go look it up in a science book; it's true," Snowboy informed them. "_Peons_."

"Yer makin' that up," Anybodys said, a touch of uncertainty in her tone.

"No, I remember hearin' that, too," Tony said thoughtfully.

Midge pursed her lips; the only thing she hated more than people who were wrong were people _proving_ her wrong.

"See, Midge, it _is_ gonna snow!" Mouthpiece trumpeted as Snowboy began a lengthy explanation of what his science teacher had told them last week in class.

Midge's cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink. "He said forty-five percent of the area will receive snow; it might not even be _this_ area," she said, her tone nevertheless slightly uncertain.

"Oh, boy, I can't wait," Mouthpiece said, as if he had not heard a word she had just said.

Midge made a "hmph" noise. "Yes, well, don't hold your breath waiting."

Mouthpiece's next words were drowned out as the Jets, without the slightest warning whatsoever, burst out with, "_OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL, BUT THE FIRE IS SO DELIGHTFUL, AND SINCE WE'VE NO PLACE TO GO, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!"_

Snowboy had thrown his arms around Joyboy's and A-Rab's shoulders and was now forcing them to sway with him as he belted out the words in a surprisingly loud voice. Minnie and Baby John began to sway as well, positively beaming as everyone else joined in. Mouthpiece, with a euphoric trumpet, picked up the song and threw a comfortable arm around Anybodys's shoulders; she shoved him off his stool, but he continued singing from the floor as if there had been no interruption at all.

Midge rolled her eyes in disgust. She was all for amiability, but this kind of over-the-top cheerfulness was just annoying. She supposed that next they were going to break into a rousing chorus of "White Christmas"…

"_IIIIIII'm dreamin' of a whiiiiiiite Chriiiiiistmaaaaas_," Riff suddenly belted out, his attempts at imitating Bing Crosby's unnaturally low voice resulting in a rather humorous effect.

Midge buried her face in her hands as the Jets immediately jumped in with, "_Just like the ones I used to knooooooow_!"

* * *

"Well, that was a complete and utter waste of my time," Midge scoffed as she left Doc's, tightening her scarf around her. The Jets had done nothing but sing winter-related songs, even singing "Winter Wonderland" a good three or four times. Midge had wanted to leave, but of course Minnie wanted to stay. Midge would never understand how a perfectly sweet and proper—albeit less than genius—girl like Minnie Goddard had gotten mixed up with a bunch of uncouth lowlifes like the _Jets_. They seemed to just barely tolerate their girls, and of course none of them paid any mind whatsoever to Midge—

"MIDGEROO!"

Midge wheeled around and groaned as Mouthpiece trotted towards her. "Yes, Mouthpiece?"

Mouthpiece stumbled to a halt before her. "Why'd ya leave? We was havin' so much fun!"

Midge sniffed. "Well, I have some rather important studying to do, which all of you _should_ be doing if any of you plan on graduating. Why did you follow me out here, anyway?"

"Ya forgot yer glove," Mouthpiece informed her, holding out the article of clothing.

Midge flushed. "Oh, yes, um, thank you," she fumbled, taking the glove from him and working it onto her hand.

"Why'd ya leave all by yerself, Midge-pie?" Mouthpiece asked.

Midge winced; Mouthpiece was so fond of nicknames that at this point, she didn't even bother stopping him. Not that it didn't still annoy her. "Well, as I said, I really must get home, and since Minnie doesn't mind _whiling_ away _all _her time singing _Christmas_ _carols,_ I had to leave without her."

"Gee, I can't wait fer the snow, can you, Midge?" Mouthpiece said comfortably, walking along beside her.

Midge sighed in irritation. "Mouthpiece, can't you get it through your impossibly thick head that it simply _will not_—what?" For Mouthpiece was staring at a point somewhere above her head in awe.

Mouthpiece slowly raised his arm and pointed at the spot he was fixated on. "_Look_," he breathed. "_Snow_."

Midge huffed as she turned around. "Mouthpiece, I'm telling you, there is no…" she trailed off.

Snow. There was snow. It was actually _snowing_. Small white specks were falling with the slowness and the softness of feathers. The sky above was a pale grey, and the sun was nowhere to be found amidst the sprinkling snowflakes. Midge shivered as some snowflakes landed on her head, and she blinked in surprise as a couple more skidded down her glasses and clung to her eyelashes. Beside her, Mouthpiece threw his arms out wide and tilted his head back, closing his eyes as snowflakes landed on his outstretched tongue.

"I…oh my goodness," Midge murmured, reaching out a hand and catching snow. It melted almost instantly, but she stared in wonderment at the miniscule crystals before they turned into dark spots on her gloves.

The door to Doc's banged open, followed by a shout of, "Snow! It's snowin'!"

The Jets and their girls poured out of Doc's, jabbering excitedly and even shouting in glee. Baby John ran around with his tongue sticking out, trying to catch a snowflake on it. The girls squealed and sidled up next to their guys, who obligingly wrapped their arms around their tiny shoulders and pulled them closer. Anybodys held out a hand and watched in fascination as snow landed on it. And Minnie, who had always marched to a different drum, spread out her arms and twirled in the middle of the sidewalk, her blue skirt and flouncing crinolines ballooning up and giving her the image of a figure from _The Nutcracker_.

"Looks like you were wrong, Midgeon-pidgeon!" Mouthpiece exclaimed happily.

"Well, I…I suppose I was," Midge conceded, still a little shell-shocked. "I…but it was only a forty-five percent chance…the weather reports are _always_ wrong!"

"Not this time," Mouthpiece chirruped. "Look, it's comin' down real fast!"

"It is indeed," Midge agreed, blinking as more snowflakes attached themselves to her glasses and made it difficult to see.

Riff whistled and clapped his hands and everyone turned to look at him. "All right! Everyone go home, get yer snow junk an' meet us at the Park in fifteen minutes!"

"Are we gonna build a fort?" A-Rab asked, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Are we gonna have a snowball fight?" Big Deal asked, ignoring Gee-Tar's jealous glare as his arm draped over Clarice's shoulders.

"Are we gonna put ice in the snowballs an' hit people with 'em?!" Action asked excitedly.

"Are we gonna go sleddin'?" Tiger shouted.

"Are we gonna build a _snowman_?!" Baby John gasped.

"Are we gonna make snow angels?!" Minnie exclaimed, pausing in mid-spin. Pauline shot out a hand to steady her as she began to topple.

Tony let out a loud whistle to shut everyone up.

"Yes to all of that," Riff said, blinking from the barrage of requests. "Except fer puttin' ice in the snowballs. That's only if any Emeralds show their ugly mugs."

The Jets cheered and began to disperse, almost all of them jabbering excitedly about what they were going to do. The girls held fast to their boyfriend's arms, more for the cuteness of it than because they were actually cold. Baby John gallantly took Minnie's hand, both of them walking carefully, as if the sidewalk was already icing over. Midge huffed; it was just like Minnie to waltz off with Baby John and leave her alone.

"Gee, it might get icy; you shouldn't go home by yourself, Midger-doodle," Mouthpiece said seriously.

Midge adjusted her glasses and said in a crisp voice, "Yes, I am aware of the fact."

After a pause, Mouthpiece offered, "I could see ya home an' then to the Park."

Midge bit her lip. "Well…all right," she finally agreed, yelping a bit as Mouthpiece grabbed her hand and promptly trotted off, towing her behind him.

"Midgeroo, wouldja help me make a snowman?" Mouthpiece asked. "I ain't very good at makin' 'em."

"I am _not_ very good at making them," Midge, ever the grammar Nazi, corrected automatically.

"Gee, that makes two of us!" Mouthpiece exclaimed.

Midge rolled her eyes.

"_Oh, the weather outside is frightful_," Mouthpiece began in a surprising baritone. "C'mon, sing with me, Midge!"

"I don't—" Midge protested weakly.

"_But the fire is so delightful_!" Mouthpiece continued. "_And since we've no place to go,_"

"_Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow_," Midge caved, deciding that perhaps there were worse things than singing Christmas carols in the snow with Mouthpiece. After all, there was only one first snow a year…


End file.
